Behind the Dark Side
by Mahnarch
Summary: Darth Dragger has finaly made it back home, on Earth. His only concerns now are housing several rogue Sith on his home planet, let alone his home town. He also has to claim his birth right his old farm.
1. Introduction

This story and related characters are copywright © 2006 Douglas Mahn (Mahnster Movie Studios) and all related entities. All other Star Wars products, places and entities are copywright © 1977 Lucas Ltd., and have not given MMS license for retail or services. 

Behind the Dark Side

**a Fan Fiction Autobiography**

**by Douglas Mahn**

_A long time ago, in a galaxy far away..._

Introduction

Anger. Hurt. Suffering.  
All signs of the Dark side. All feelings that surge through my entire being. This is why I'm a Sith.  
This is my side of the line. This is why someone is going to get hurt; badly.

The hum of my blade is the only sound reverberating around the large warehouse; the red hue  
barely lighting my way between the aisles.  
My senses are on full alert.  
I'm hunting.

Somewhere in this warehouse is my prey; a young Jedi, most likely a Padawan. The force is  
not very strong with him. That's why he ran in here when he saw me.

_"Come out. Come out. Where ever you are"_. My voice is low and slithery from an accident in  
my youth. It's creepy enough to scare a herd of Sand People. It should work well on this little brat.

Sparks fly heavily to my feet as I drag my lightsaber across the container casings, like a child  
walking along a picket fence. I find this has two benefits. Not only does it scare the willies out  
of people, but it also helps light up the room.

Movement – to my left.  
I lift my blade over my head, ready to bring it down on the cowering child hiding on the other side  
of this case.

There is a flash of light. My hand, gone!  
Then the pain sets in.  
I watch my lightsaber as it switches off and tumbles to the floor.  
_"How?.."_ The pain amplifies my confusion as I drop to my knees. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, I  
spit on the floor to keep from vomiting.  
_"You are placed under arrest, Sith."_ an older voice from behind me beckons. _"Give yourself up, or I will be forced to kill you."_

"_Give up? Heh! I gave up a long time ago, kiddo."_ I growled through the pain coursing up my  
arm. It's a good thing lightsabers cauterize wounds instantly, otherwise I'd be bleeding to death all  
over the cold, titanium floor.

How could I have been so stupid? I was over confident. I didn't check the older Jedi's body  
before I left him for dead in the other room. I just wanted to finish the little one, quickly, and get  
out of here.

I didn't want to be here in the first place, never wanted to be a Sith, never wanted to leave home.

So, how did I end up here? How did I end up spending 15 years as an apprentice to a Sith Lord, and  
why am I on my knees in front of a Jedi Knight, missing one of my most favored appendages?

Allow me to take you back. Back when I was an innocent kid on an 'M' Class planet called Earth.


	2. Earth

**Earth**

"Douglas! Get up, sweetie. You have to feed the chickens before you go off to school!"  
My mother, always on schedule – "Feed the chickens before they fight, milk the cows before they  
sour, quit playing with the horses tails before they..." Well, you get the picture.

I hated living on the farm. I was 8 years old and lived miles from everywhere, and everyone. I had  
no friends outside of school except for the farm hands my mother hired, and most of them didn't even speak English..

The day started like all the others. I'd drag myself out of bed and haul myself outside into the  
bitter cold, dark morning and spread chicken feed all over the ground.  
These chickens made me so mad, with their noise and pungent smell. Sometimes I'd try to peg them in the head with the feed.  
My aim wasn't very good. Like I said, I was 8.

School started around 8:00am, or whenever I decided to show up. The teachers just figured I was  
always late because of farm work, while - in reality - I just hung out by the stream just down  
the road from the school.

I was practicing my feed throwing skills by trying to skip stones down the flowing stream when a piercing chill ran down the back of my neck. For some reason, I felt like my world had ended.  
I felt light headed and queasy, like I was going to get sick.  
I headed off to school right away, figuring, what better place to get sick than at school, right?

I had just walked into my classroom, the usual 15 minutes late, when the principle knocked on the  
classroom door.

I could sense that something wasn't right as my teacher talked with the principal in the hallway.I could almost _feel_ her pain and sorrow; like it was directed _at_ me. She was crying _for_ me.

The teacher opened the classroom door and motioned for me to come out and have a word with the principle.  
"Oh, great." I thought. Maybe they found out about my meandering at the stream and want to  
confront me.

This was the day I found out my mother was killed in the explosion.

Mother; my mother was my last living relative ever since my father and older brother were killed  
in a car accident 2 years ago. Now I was alone on this planet.

The police brought me down to the station where they told me about how the furnace had blown up; about mom being in the kitchen when the gas valve went. About how she never saw her end coming.  
I stared at the officer for an eternity before an older man came in the door. A tall and slender man with a worn face,  
wearing an out dated plaid suit and an off color cream hat.  
He was out of place.  
"_It's seems that your only living relative is your uncle Jeff, here." _ The officer introduced the man  
as my uncle, but my parents were both single children. Mom told me several times when she'd reminisce about her childhood.

The old man showed the officer some papers and turned to me.  
_"I'll raise you as you were my own." _he said. His hand on my shoulder gave me a sudden comfort  
from the pain and sadness in my stomach.

After we left the police station we walked along the shoulder of the road toward the outer city limits.The man started to ask me some odd questions: _"Could you ever sense danger?",_ and _"Have I ever been able to predict the future right before it happened?"_  
He kept prodding on the questions about my mothers' death and the house exploding; like he was extremely fascinated with gore.

"_Could you feel your mother die?" _He asked it - point blank - as if asking what flavor ice cream I wanted. I was shocked.  
The truth of the matter was that I didn't remember feeling anything; not until he reminded me about feeling sick.

The man knelt in front of me. _"You feel a lot of fear right now, don't you?"_  
I didn't have a clue as to what this guy was getting at. It was like he was testing me, or trying  
to tell me something else. I just stood there, listening, but it was like he didn't even need me to answer.  
_"Come with me, and I will show you the ways of the Force. How to use your fear and anger to make you strong and_  
_get you the things you want."_  
At the time, I had no idea what a 'Force' was, but the offer of fortune was too great to resist.

I soon learned that his real name was Darth Klo'ek. When I became his apprentice I received the name, 'Darth Dragger'.  
As his student I learned about the Force, about space travel, about other planets, about the Sith, and the unending war with the wretched Jedi.


	3. Jedi Detention Center: Day 1

**Hoth: Jedi Detention Center**

**Day 1**

It's no wonder there's never been a prisoner of the Jedi who'd raised a complaint before. This place is  
more like the penthouse at the 'Ritz' than a jail cell.

Food on call. Padded bedding. Cold AND Hot water. Blankets. And it's relatively warm in here, yet a thick sheet of ice makes the outer walling.  
Droids bring the food and tend to my every need. My every need except for the keys to get out of here.

Jedi walk past the cell once in awhile but they never look at me. It's like they're avoiding eye contact with me. Maybe they're all afraid of turning. That is; until a group of young kids, led by an older Jedi comes near the reinforced bars that hold me in here.

They look like students from an elementary classroom, "younglings" as the older Jedi calls them.  
They all stare at me like I'm a painting in a museum.

"_This is a Sith, Younglings." ,_the Jedi teacher starts, _"The sworn enemy of the Jedi order and the light side of the Force." _  
Give my light saber and my hand back and I'd show them how much of a sworn enemy I really am.

"_He won't give us any information, voluntarily. What his name is. His home world, or his dark master. He's just too stubborn." _The teacher chides me like a monkey in the zoo; a joke passed behind the gym after school.  
The children giggle. They're giggling at my expense.

"_Close your eyes. Use the Force to feel his dark energy, children." _the teacher instructs.  
I use this opportunity to feed them as much of the dark side as I can muster from inside my gut.. Perhaps I can turn one of them. Make one of them my apprentice.

All of the brats close their eyes. I can feel them penetrating me with their minds. I feel their  
dirty little voices fill me. I sense their wishes and dreams, uncontrolled by lack of experience.  
I hear them. The little fur ball kid wants peace in the galaxy, the little blue octopus-headed kid wants  
a pet tauntaun, but his mom won't allow one in their chambers.  
All useless information.

One of the little girls, a little humanoid blonde, wakes from her meditation and looks directly at me with her wide eyes.  
"_What!",_ I growl with my creepy voice. I lower my brow to push my anger.  
"_Earth!"_, her shyly cracking voice piercing the silence.  
"_Earth?", _ the teacher asks, _"What do you mean?"_  
"_He's from the planet Earth"_, the little girl answers.  
"_I've never heard of it"_. The teacher pulls up information on her wrist communicator.  
With nothing reading on her comm, the teacher gathers the younglings and moves onto the next area of the compound. The little girl stares at me, unblinking, as she's dragged away by another student.

The hours after that feel like weeks. The solitude is driving me crazy, and bots just don't fill my need for bullying, nor do they understand dirty jokes about preachers and bars.

Suddenly, I feel it.  
A presence I felt earlier this morning.  
The little blonde girl, hiding in the corner.

"_What do you want?"_, I ask her without even looking.  
She comes out from hiding in the darkness.

Singled out, she looks like a farmer. Petite but built, with a pear shaped face. Her bobbed haircut accentuates her chubby cheeks. If I didn't know better, I'd say she knew her way around a pitchfork and horseshoes.Maybe it was more of a feeling, than her looks. The Force can make you mix them up, sometimes.  
She looks around 8 years old. The same age I was when my master took me under his wing.

"_You're from Earth." _she says, her voice cracking.  
"_No shit, kid." _Go ahead, let the FCC drag me away for using improper language with the minor. I don't care. At least I would be able to use mind control on the FCC.

She approaches the corner outside of my cell, holding the wall as a shield.

"_My mother came from Earth"_. Her voice is soft and caring, like a little angel.  
"_Good for you, kid. You want a gold star?"_, I turn my back on her, thinking maybe she'll go away if I'm rude enough.  
In truth, I'm glad she's here. This is the best conversation I've had in over 8 hours.

"_I brought you something."_, I sense her open hand offering me something. I don't turn to look.

She places the item on the floor just inside the bars of my cell and walks away. I feel her eyes staring through me as she leaves.

My curiosity gets the better of me after she's gone.  
I pick the item up. It's wrapped in a red cloth.

Untying the cloth I find a handful of chicken feed. How could she? To remind me of those awful chickens! To remind me of Earth.  
The farm...Mom.

I take the rag full of feed and sit at the far end of the cell. One by one, I throw the feed across the cell; the corn zaps to dust as it hits the forcefield reinforced bars.  
My aim is much better, now.

I think about how much hate I feel for that child as I fall asleep and sink into a dream. I dream about being her age, about my first assignment I got from my old master...


	4. Dagobah: Year 2

**Dagobah: Year 2**

My first lessons of the Sith were in basic light saber skills, Force abilities and martial arts. Dagobah was my first real test of these skills in an unpredictable environment. Master Klo'ek wanted to test my abilities against the wild and undocumented creatures on this forest planet.  
He didn't believe in slow learning. "_Learn by jumping into the fire", _as he always said. Skip the pot altogether.  
He taught me to use a light saber by handing me one and tossing me into a cave full of aggressive vampire bats in Australia.  
Talk about 'tough love'.  
I was 10 years old by this time, and I had tasted my first blood. My first victory; with only minor abrasions.

Our camp on Dagobah was several yards away from a bog that constantly bubbled and smelled like stale popcorn.  
That was the first time I had actually stepped foot on an alien planet since leaving Earth with my master.  
After my mother died we spent my first year of training traveling all over Earth, then I had lived on our space ship, _Archangel V, _a large cargo ship, which we later sold to a wayward gambler. We did all of our trading with other lifeforms aboard different space stations.  
With the credits we got from our old ship we bought _Elocon_, a small two-seat verticle flyer, along with some gear and rations.  
The smaller ship was necessary to land on Dagobah. Also, constantly changing ships keeps any authority figures off your tracks.  
That was one of the many valuable tips I learned from my master.

My first day away from camp was uneventful. I ran into several small animals that couldn't harm me,  
even if they wanted to. Most of them ran away as I approached. My light saber was used as a fly swatter, more than anything.  
That night, however, had a little more excitement.

My senses woke me from a deep sleep. Sitting up, I could hear the distant whirring of a light saber.  
My master had been alerted before me and ventured out into the dark to check on a noise.  
The noise turned out to be a large, hairy creature that Master Klo'ek later explained had wandered into  
camp and rummaged through our food rations during the night.  
With our food pillaged, we only had a few days left on Dagobah instead of the weeks we had planned.  
There was no way we were going to carve up and eat that foul creature that was decomposing in our camp.  
We spent the rest of that day moving camp further down the bank to escape the smell. We also wanted to keep from getting caught in a battle from other creatures that did want to feast on the corpse.

My second day in the wild led me to meet a giant, grey spider-like creature that was climbing down the trunk of a huge Gnarl tree.  
I jumped up on a large rock to get a better look at him. As I approached the spider he jumped at me. Surprised, I fell off the rock and dropped my light saber, cracking the end of the casing.  
I used the Force to fetch my saber, did a test ignite, and quickly cut through his front legs as he hovered over me, all while laying on my back.  
Before I could regain my fighting stance on the slippery, mossy ground and advance on him he had buried the remainder of his arms into the ground and sprouted what appeared to be a leaf.  
At this point, I realized that he was actually the seed of a Gnarl tree.  
Walking around and studying my surroundings, I figured out that all Gnarl trees were, at one time, one of these spider creatures.  
I slashed one of the trees' roots out from under it, just out of spite. I could sense it's pain, it felt good.

On the third day my master wanted me to bring back the head of one of these spider seeds that I had  
told him about. He was curious about them, more so than he wanted me to learn any skills, I think.  
I figured I would be the good student and bring one back for him.

When I ventured into the wild, again, I learned my most valuable light saber lesson.  
_Never, ever, ignite your light saber in water if the casing it cracked!_

As I jumped over some logs to cross a river, one of the logs moved. I was plunged into waist deep bog water, soaking me to the bone.  
The log rose out the water, revealing its face, and teeth. It reminded me of an alligator back on Earth, only covered in bark.  
It advanced, ready to have me for a snack, as I pulled my saber and hit the 'ON' switch.

Big mistake.

An electric shock surged through the entire bank, instantly knocking me back and throwing the light saber into the river. I screamed from the pain before I went unconscious. My last memory of that event was the creature, standing there.

I don't know how long I was out before my master found me. I was still soaking wet and  
freshly dragged to the bank.  
"_What the hell were you doing in the river!", _he demanded.  
I opened my mouth to answer, but my voice was gone. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't even make a peep. My voice box had been fried.

Master Klo'ek told me that he went out to forage for extra food when he found me floating in the water.  
The corpse of the alligator creature lodged in the real logs and kept me from floating down the river any further. Luckily the electric bolt killed him before he got to me. Another problem was, my light saber was still at the bottom of the river.

"_Call your saber out of that muck." _he scolded, but I didn't know how. At that time I could only use the Force to fetch something if I could see it. The water was too murky and covered in algea to see the bottom, even though it was only 3 feet deep.  
Without a voice, I could only look at my master and shake my head.

Master Klo'ek made me sit on the edge of the river and think about what my light saber looked like. Every corner, every curve, every knob; even the crack. When I could finally picture it, perfectly, he had me _'call' _it.

I didn't understand, at the time, but did as I was told. When I thought about my saber, and thought about holding it, the water in the middle of the river started to bubble.  
It took only a few seconds before my light saber, covered in muck, was laying by my crossed feet on the muddy bank.

I picked it up, cleaned it off and hooked it to my belt. I turned to my master for some sort of approval, but he wasn't even looking at me.  
My senses kicked in at that very second and I drew my saber, still soaked, just as my master did.  
By this time in my training I was very instinctual with my blade. I could find the 'ON' switch in vertigo with the lights turned off, but before my thumb could reach the switch Master Klo'ek wrapped his hand around my handle, preventing me from lighting it – his other hand had his blade ignited and at the ready.  
"_I don't need you to demonstrate how you ended up face down in the river."_ , he whispered.  
I had to stand by as I watched my master take on a larger Gnarl tree spider and remove it's head by himself.

With my light saber out of commission we were down to one. My master didn't feel comfortable with that situation. I couldn't take his out on my daily ventures, leaving him defensless at camp, and he wouldn't allow me to go without one, either. We left Dagobah the following morning.

The _Elocon _was docked at some random space port for a week as we got more food rations, clothing and spare parts for the ship.  
Medical droids replaced my voice box with a prototype synthesizer, forcing me to learn how to talk all over again.  
I also learned how to build my first light saber there. All the ones I had used before had been handed to me. Now I was to learn all the intricate workings of the weapon and, hopefully, not break any more of them, as I was earning a reputation for doing.


	5. Jedi Detention Center: Day 2

**Jedi Detention Center: Day 2**

"_Droid!"_  
I call the servant bot as he rolls past my cell.  
"_Yes, sir?"_, he stops and turns to me. His voice is eerily like mine. Maybe we have the same synthesizer.  
"_What can you do about getting me a new hand?",_ I doubt that the Jedi are willing to make me whole, again, but at least I'm willing to try.  
_"I'll summon a medic right away, sir."_, he says.  
Hell, that was easy. I should have tried this yesterday.  
The droid turns and starts to roll away.  
_"Wait!"_, I may as well utilize him while he's here, _"Bring me a ham sandwich, too."_  
"_Right away, sir." _he calls back.

The thing I like about droids is that they can be very efficient. The servant droid must have summoned the medic as I was asking; it only took 2 minutes before he showed up.  
My ham sandwich arrived only a minute later. Now, that's service.

Watching a hand reconstruction is pretty fascinating, even on yourself. The medic has me place both arms on the table, the left hand is for measurements in reconstructing the right hand. He pulled out a tray full of small gears, pistons, nuts, bolts, sticks of metal and a ton of small tools. I wonder how all those parts could be kept organized, let alone put to good use; but he goes right to work.

First, a needle in my arm to numb the pain. Then he cuts a millimeter off of the end of my cauterized nub and starts stuffing bits and pieces into my flesh and bone, constructing a frame and placing pistons and little brackets all over; sometimes using all four of his robot arms at once.  
What amazes me more is that, even with all this precision work going on, he is still able to have a jovial conversation with me.

"_How are you, this morning?", _he asks. The typical default conversation starter that's programmed into all droids.  
I notice that his voice is also similar to mine, just without human emotion behind it. I decide to dick with him, a little.  
"_I am doing fine, sir."_, I mock his emotionless speech to a 'T'.  
With a mechanical voice box I can change my voice, to a certain point. I can even copy some humans.  
He doesn't even blink, if a droid could blink, that is.  
"_I see you have a VS-400Si series synthesizer."_, he casually responds, _"I can install the upgraded version of that for you when I'm done with your hand, if you'd like, sir. It will make you sound more human."_

I'd never thought about it before; an upgrade to my voice box to sound more human. But, then again, I'd sound more _human_. I like my growl.  
"_No thanks"_, I say.  
"_Very well. I'm done for now, sir."_

I look at my new robotic hand; the metal fingers and palm all move at my will. It works perfectly. The medic hands me a black glove.  
"_I won't be able to cover your hand with synthetic skin until I get a copy of your skin color back to the lab. I shouldn't take more than a day."_, the medic says as he places a sensor against my forearm and quickly leaves.

"_Does it hurt?"_, a little voice comes from outside the cell.

"_Not as bad as any pain I've felt before."_, I answer. I don't even have to look to see who it is.  
"_What are you doing here this early, Shorty?"_, I suddenly realize that I don't know her real name. I don't really care; a Jedi is a Jedi.

"_My name's not Shorty. It's Michelle. I was named after my grandma."_. She replies very-matter-of-fact.  
I can't help but hide a giggle at her straight-forwardness.  
"_Well, Shorty, does your mother know you're hanging out with a known criminal?"_, I drive her new nickname home.  
"_She knows."_, Shorty steps forward,_ "She says that as long as you're behind these bars, I'm safe from harm."_, she says. _"My mom also wants to know when you left Earth."_

Here we go. Bring on the twenty questions.  
"_I left Earth in 1987, when I was 10."_ I figure that a little information wouldn't hurt and I sit, crossed legged, near the cell bars.  
I go on to tell her about my mother, the explosion, meeting my master and all about the spiders on Dagobah.

"_Where is your master, now?"_, she asks after she absorbed all this information. _"He's probably worried about you."_  
She forces me to think back; think about what he's done for me, all he taught me and led me to be the person I am, today.  
"_He's dead."_, I stand and walk to the far end of the cell, leaning on the ice wall. The cool feeling soothes the pain that's beginning to churn in my stomach.  
What's this? I notice a small crack in the ice; a tiny hairline fracture. The weak link in the wall.

"_How did he..."_, Shorty starts, but I cut her off,  
"_Leave."_  
"_Why? Did I say something wrong?"_, she gasps. I can feel her worry.  
"_No, Just...leave."_, I take a step toward her, loudly growling and showing my teeth.  
She's startled and falls back, even though the bars between us would never allow me to touch her.

She stands up and dusts herself off. _"Don't worry, Doug. I can sense good in you."_, she says before running off. What the hell is that supposed to mean?  
"_I'm DARTH DRAGGER, goddamn it!"_, I yell. I'm not sure if she heard me, or not.

Turning back to the far wall, I concentrate on the crack.  
Using the Force, I try to expand the fracture.

The wall starts to shake as small pieces start to crumble away and fall to the ground.

"_You do realize that there are over 100 feet of ice behind that wall, don't you?"_, an older voice comes from behind me. It's a Jedi woman.

If I actually liked Jedi, I might find her attractive. Her long blonde hair is tied up in the traditional Jedi bun, exposing her slender jawline and thin neck. She has a familiar pear shaped face.  
Her light blue eyes pierce me. I know them, but from where?  
"_It's going to take you awhile to get through all of that."_, her arms crossed.

"_I was just excersizing."_, I try to hide my intentions, even though I know I was caught trying to break out.  
"_I bet."_, she shoots me with a suspect smile.

"_My name is..."_, she starts, but I cut her off, _"Lori"_,I just remembered where I knew her from.  
"_We were in Miss Coverly's class together, in third grade?"_, she says.  
"_Yeah, I remember you. You were the richy-rich girl that sat a few seats behind me."_, I growl.

"_I always wondered where you went after I heard about your mother."_, she sounded like a long lost friend, but I had always hated this girl.  
"_So, how did a wealthy girl end up getting off Earth?"_, I ask, rudely.  
"_Well,"_, she starts, _"About a year after you disappeared..." _Oh, god. She's going to give me the whole story, _" ...my father met a man who said that he could enroll me in a school that would allow me to be the best that I could be. When I finally met him, he was wearing a 1930s style tuxedo, complete with a little scarf in his pocket."_, a giggle escapes her, _"He was definitely behind the times."_  
It appears that all off world people didn't realize how far Earthlings had come.  
She leans up against the wall, _"Little did I know that this man was a Jedi Knight."_

She goes on to tell me about how the Jedi Master brought her to the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, every now and then bringing her back to Earth for 'vacations' to cover the fact that her father thought she was in Europe. That was until she became 18 when she finally told her father the truth.

"_So, what happened to you?"_, she asks, finally.  
"_Go ask your daughter. I just filled her in."_, I say, dryly, trying to look as disinterested in her conversation as I could.

Lori turns and walks away, letting me return to the crack on the wall.  
I concentrate on the crack, forcing more pieces to come off the wall when I hear, _"It's still over 100 feet thick!"_, in the distance.  
"_Bah!"_, I lay back down on my bed.

I pass the time by counting the stalactites that are forming on the ceiling and start to think about what Lori had said about her past.

About Yavin IV.


	6. Yavin IV: Year 5

**Yavin IV: Year 5**

My master and I chased the Jedi cruiser for what seemed like hours before it ended up running for a small moon in the Yavin system.  
Having already taken several blasts from our cannons, the Jedi's ship wasn't going to make it very much further. We figured the Jedi was racing for the moon in order to crash land in a livable environment, instead of exploding in deep space.  
We followed the smoke trail that started at the edge of the moon's atmosphere and landed near the crash site.

By the time we reached the wrecked ship on foot, the Jedi was gone.  
"_When we find him, I want you to take him out."_, Master Klo'ek told me.  
I felt proud that my master thought I was good enough to take on a full fledged Jedi, already.  
I had only celebrated my 13th birthday a week earlier.

In the entire universe, 13 means you're an adult. You're old enough to be responsible for your actions. You can be a King or Queen. You can vote. You can marry. You can take on a Jedi Knight  
But, back in the U.S., on Earth, becoming 13 means the beginning of your teenage years, and you're still considered a child. You still don't have any legal abilities or rights.  
That's the American government, for you.

We trudged through the lush jungle, using the Force to track the wayward Jedi, but we never seemed to get any closer to him. There seemed to be too much interferece clouding the dark side of the Force to get a good feel for him.

The sun had set much faster than we had hoped and we couldn't make it back to the ship before the night set in, fully.  
It was too dangerous to use our lightsabers as a light source for fear of being seen by the lost Jedi, or any other hungry creature in these woods, for that matter.  
Our experience on Dagobah taught us to never underestimate the wild.

We found a small cave and decided to make our way inside.  
Once inside we did use our lightsabers as flashlights; the cave would block anyone from seeing the glow of the blades from outside.  
We found a large open area to camp in for the night and laid down our gear.  
Master Klo'ek sent me back outside to gather some wood.

Acquiring the wood was not a problem, there were loads of fallen dead wood all over the ground.  
I brought several arms full of wood back and stacked it while Master Klo'ek lit some of it on fire using it his lightsaber and then tossed it into his bag.  
After I had enough wood, I sat down and leaned against a large rock to open a bag of food rations.

Biting into the first piece, I heard an ear splitting shreak.  
I was on my feet, my blade ignited in the blink of an eye, using the Force in order to speed my movement. Master Klo'ek dove for his bag to retrieve his light saber.  
He should have sensed it before me. He was getting slower with the Force, almost by the day.

Just as Master Klo'ek reached his bag, I swung my saber in his direction.  
His instincts must have thought that I was attacking him; he ignited his blade while it was still in his bag, slicing his gear in half.  
Our blades crossed, preventing me from killing the Mynock that was on it's way to feast on him.  
The Mynock attached itself to Master Klo'ek's right cheek as I brought my blade back and re-swung, killing the bat-like beast and missing my master's face by a fraction of an inch.  
I was very proficient with a saber, already. I would have been considered a 'Master' with lightsabers, if _my_ master would've acknowledged it.  
The beast fell to the ground, sliced in half, motionless.  
I stood and deactivated my blade, feeling smug about myself.  
After all, I was my master's savior.  
Too bad he didn't see it that way.

"_What the hell do you think you were doing!"_, he grabbed my shoulder, pinching the muscle at the base of my neck and sending pain down my arm. Finally he pushed me to the ground as he stood up.  
"_But, Master...",_ I stuttered, massaging my shoulder.  
"_I had the situation under control! You stopped me from defending myself!"_, his voice boomed in the cave.  
"_But, you weren't.."_, I try to add my side of the story.  
"_Get me something to wrap this bite up with"_, he changed the subject, too ashamed to admit his unpreparedness.  
I turned and got the medical supplies to tend to his wounds.

The following morning we woke up to blaster pistols and lightsabers whiring just outside the cave entrance.  
I was sent out to the cave's mouth to investigate.  
What I saw was amazing.

Jedi students were in a small clearing, facing off against several floating balls that randomly shot laser blasts at them. Their movements were almost fluid, like a perfectly choreagraphed dance.  
One kid was able to redirect a blast; do a perfect backflip, and deflect another laser blast.  
They were alot better than I was; and alot younger.  
Why hadn't my master taught me to fight like that? Didn't he think I was capable enough to do the things that these children were doing?  
I sat there for, what seemed like, ten minutes before Master Klo'ek came up behind me.  
_"Why don't you teach me to be like them?"_, my question squeaks from my congested voice box.  
_"I don't need to teach you how to dance. I need to teach you how to control."_, his response was cold and unfeeling.

Master Klo'ek decided it was best that we stay hidden by clouding our presence from the Jedi until they left.  
The sun was high before the Jedi ended their training excersizes, and I soaked in every little bit. I could have watched them for days.  
I learned their styles, their stances, their dedication.

I also learned to hate them.


	7. Jedi Dention Center: Day 4

**Jedi Detention Center: Day 4**

I'm not really sure what day this is. It could be the third day I've been here. It could have been a week, already. Being confined in this cell doesn't leave anyone with any sense of time. I just sleep when I'm tired and wake when I'm done being tired.  
It's kind of nice. Except for the whole 'not being able to go anywhere I want' part, this is like a vacation.

"_4 days.", _a man in a suit comes to the bars of my cell with a stack of folders. He looks like he's in his mid-thirties. He reminds me of Bill Bixby from my favorite TV show, 'The Incredible Hulk.'  
_ "That's how long it took us to find Earth in our databases."._  
He drags a chair near the center of the cell door and flips through his papers as he sits. _"Earth is still an 'M' class planet, I believe. What I don't understand is how you and one of our own Jedi got off of Earth when it's still strictly forbidden for anyone from outside to go there until Earthians discover space travel on thier own."  
__"Earth-LINGS, Dumbass."_, I grumble under my breath, correcting his labeling._  
__"AH, Earthlings. Thank you."_, he writes notes on his paper, crosses his legs and closes his folder,___"Now, can you tell me how you met a Sith?"  
__"What are you, the fuzz?"_, I ask. I'm not about to hand out every nugget of information about myself to some suit who comes up and demands answers.___  
__"The fuzz? I'm not sure what that is. I am Arl' Bo. I'm an information and knowledge agent. My task is to collect information because the Jedi are too busy to do it themselves. Then I put the information I collect into the archives so they can pull it up at anytime. Right now, the Jedi are very interested in YOU. That's why I'm here."_He tells me all of this in, pretty much, one breath.  
"So, you're not a Jedi?", I'm trying to get his mind off of asking me questions. Maybe he'll get annoyed and go away. Or maybe I can use the Force to cloud his mind.___  
__"No, I'm not. In fact, I can't use the Force at all, but I can use a terminal as well as paper clips and a stapler."_, he chuckles. I just stare at him.___  
__"Go away."_, I wave my hand to focus the Force toward him, but he just sits there, smiling his stupid smile.___  
__"Not until you tell me what I need to know."_, he waves his hand, just like I did. He's mocking me.___"The Jedi are confining your powers to your cell through the Light side."_  
_"Look who thinks he's a 'Clever Dan',". _This information is news to me. I was able to use the Force to work at the crack on the wall. Maybe the light side only covers the outside of the bars.

_____"Where is your master?", _he asks while filling out a form.___  
__I already told your buddy; he's dead.",_I tell him, turning and sitting on my bed.___  
__"How did he die?",_ he doesn't even look up. He doesn't even care about the questions he's asking. I may as well be talking with a droid, rather than a this waste of meat dressed in a suit.

_____"It doesn't matter...",_ I slam my mechanical fist against the frozen cell. Shards of ice fall to the ground as I leave an imprint in the wall.  
I never felt a thing. That's one bonus to having cyborg parts, I guess.___  
__"...all that matters is, he's dead._  
_"Come on, now, you can tell me more than that.", _ he pries the information out of me like a stubborn tooth.

_____"I killed him.",_ I lower my head, trying to fight back the tear rolling down my cheek.  
I remember that dreadful day on that damned spaceport just outside of Bespin.

The day I found out the truth about my master...


	8. Bespin: Year 15

**Bespin Space Port: Year 15**

My master and I had stopped at the Bespin Space Port to refuel our ships and refill our food rations.  
By that time I was a fully grown, 23 year old man, all of 6ft. 2in. and 185lbs., in G1 gravity. My body was a chiseled mass of destruction, and I had proved my worth – several times.

I was old enough and confident enough that my master and I were flying separate, one man, space ships to further our advantage in ship-to-ship fighting. I think he also liked to have his own privacy and space after having me tag along with him those past 15 years.  
For me, It was nice to put things somewhere and have them still be there several hours later.

I was at the cantina on the space port, talking with a local drunkard who looked like he was in his mid 50s. Full beard and mustache. Ragged clothes, complete with a cane. He also couldn't keep his mouth shut. He kept going on and on about his best friend betraying him.  
"_You never know someone until you've got them cornered, sonny."_, he slurred into his glass of liquor.  
Being liquored up, myself, I couldn't help but talk, either. _"What happened?"._  
He continued to tell me, _"My 'friend' came up to me one day and told me that he did the worst thing any friend could do."_  
Apparently, his best friend had killed his son and never revealed it to this guy until years later.  
"_That finally explained why he wasn't there when I needed him."_, he then showed me the nub – all that's left of his right leg. _"He told me that he was too busy killing a Sith learner. I figured that it made him feel big about killing one of those damned Sith. So I congratulated him; all those years ago..."_ He orders another drink before continuing, _"...only to find out a year ago, today, that it was my own son. The teacher that had been mentoring him was a Sith Lord and my buddy found this out...He killed my son. My legacy."_  
I couldn't contain my drunken curiosity, _"How long ago did your son die?"_  
"_16 years ago," _he put his hand on my shoulder,_ "He would be about your age, now."_  
"_What of your friend?",_ I asked.

"_He was a Jedi. I'm normal. I shot a few blaster rounds at him, but he blocked them, easily. He didn't attack me; said that he knew how I felt, and left. I haven't seen him since."_, he slammed the rest of his drink and stood up, hobbling on his false leg toward the bathroom.

All of this got me to thinking:  
A Sith lord lost his learner 16 years ago. According to protocol, he would have been looking for another learner, right away.  
16 years ago, after the explosion, Master Klo'ek was right there - knowing all about my potential abilities and saving me from an orphanage.  
It also hit home about trusting your so-called 'best friends'...  
Hmm. Wait a minute. I was drunk, but my instincts felt right.

"_God damn it!"_

I slammed the rest of my drink onto the counter, spilling the rum, and stormed out.  
The barkeep yelled after me, _"Hey, buddy! You didn't pay!"_  
I didn't care. I was on a mission.

A large bouncer caught me at the door of the bar, standing in front of me and blocking my quick exit.  
"_Hey, man, you're not going anywh-"_, he didn't have time to finish his sentence before my bright red light saber blade was sticking out of his back.  
With a quick wisp, he was cut in two and laying on the floor – another bloodless kill. The bar was in a frenzy.  
Even in my drunken state, I could still sense a blaster round heading toward me from the bar. I didn't even look, I just put my blade behind my back and deflected it, killing another bystander. It was purely the barkeeps' fault for firing at me.

I continued on, down the hallways of the space port, my blade whirring with every rushed step. My blurred eyes made my single blade look like two.  
I shook my head to clear my eyes.

I didn't even wait for the door to open to the traders' store. I cut the last quarter of the plating off the hinges as it swiped open.

"_KLO'EK!"_; I didn't even use his proper surname.

My 'Master' turned from talking to the trader at the counter and looked at me. The trader backed away, into the stock room when he saw my blade digging into the floor.  
"_What is your problem?"_, his eyes wide in shock.  
I approached him and swung my blade. Even with his Force abilities waning, he was still fast enough to pull his blade and cross mine.  
I forced my body toward him, making him lean back over the counter.  
"_You killed my mother!"_, my body was full of the inner fire; the full force of the dark side was pulsing through me like the Phoenix, rising from the ashes. I was a ball of drunken fire.

"_Who told you?"_, his face strained against my force. I could sense the truth behind all of his lies over the years, screaming out to me like a banshee from somewhere in the back of my mind.  
"_I figured it out, myself. Me and a half gallon of Rum. Why did you do it!" _I was less interested in the answer than slicing him in half.  
"_You had a lot more potential than Earth could ever offer you, kid."_ he shoved me away with his foot and stood against the counter. I regained my stance after slicing a display rack in two from wavering. I'm on him, again. _"I'm not a kid anymore, old man."_

By this time a group of beings, both from the cantina and from passing by had gathered around the store to watch.  
"_You could have just lied to my mother...told her that you were taking me to a Prep school! You didn't have to kill her!"_, we crossed blades two more times, my blade shoving his through the counter he was forced against and cracking his handle into pieces.  
Master Klo'ek used what little force he was able to muster to push another display rack at me. I easily held it in mid-air and threw it at him. He had no time, or ability, to deflect it.  
The rack laid him out on his back.

Hovering over him, I put my blade to his throat.  
"_I hate you."_, a single tear ran down my cheek as I stared at him. That was the first time I felt any sadness since losing my mother.  
"_Good. That hate will enhance your use of the Dark Side. I can feel your hurt."_, he was begging, _"Allow me to show you how to use that hate to your fullest."_

"_I have no more use for you."_, I brought my blade high above my head, hesitating for a second, and brought it down on his neck. I expected him to block it, saving his miserable life, but instead, his head rolled along the dirty, steel floor like a bowling ball.  
He couldn't block. His light saber was broken.  
That was it. He was dead.

In a way, I think he knew I was at my fullest potential. He knew he was an old fodder with no use left in him, and he let me end his life.

I grabbed the pieces of his light saber and walked out of the traders' store. The trader peeked around the corner as I left, but never said a word.  
He knew what had just happened. He mourned for me. I could feel it.

I left the traders' store as the crowd parted.

Walking further, the crowd started to applaud me for my victory.  
I'm not sure if they knew I was actually a Sith, myself. For all I knew, they thought I was a Jedi who had just killed a Sith.  
Either that, or they felt I was crossing to the light side and opposed the Sith by killing my old master.  
Little did they know, killing your master was part of the Sith tradition. It would have happened sooner or later. I just brought his death on my own terms.

I walked to the docking bays and headed toward my ship.  
I passed my masters' ship on the way to mine and stopped. I had to go through his things – to see if I could use anything he didn't need anymore.  
His ship was an exact copy of mine, so I knew all the cubby holes and secrets.  
Opening a compartment, I found a small metal box and opened it.  
Inside I found several pictures of me and my old neighborhood. Notes about my school and work schedule. I also found documents containing the schematics to my old house. He had been spying on me for quite some time..  
"_Why would he have all this stuff after all these years?"_, I asked myself, _"It seems that he would have gotten rid of all of this after he took me in."_

Just then, a blaster round hit the outside of the ship.  
Security had caught up with me for killing the bouncer in the cantina.  
My buzz was starting to wear off, but I was still over confident.  
I grabbed the box and ran out of the loading ramp, igniting my blade. I blocked a single shot and harmlessly sent it off into the rafters.  
"_Stop where you are!",_ a guard shouted, but I kept walking backward toward my ship.  
Blocking a couple more blasts, I boarded my ship and started to hover over the launch pad.  
I took one last look at my dead masters' ship, before I blasted it into a ball of fire with my cannons, exterminating more than half of the security personnel.

As I pulled away from the space port, without a clearance, I thought back to my childhood.  
"_Sierra Charlie Six-Four-Niner-Four-Three, you are not cleared for takeoff. Land immediately and wait for a clearance."_, a voice comes over the radio.  
"_Try and stop me."_, I responded in my deepest voice.  
I could hear the ramblings of security officers in the background as the traffic controller responded.

After some a few seconds I hear, _"Niner-Four-Three, You have traffic, 9 o'clock, at five thousand-five hundred. Report them in sight."_  
I looked outside my cockpit, seeing the cargo ship to my left. _"I have the traffic, Niner-Four-Three."_, a standard traffic call.  
They were letting me go. I don't know if it was because they were afraid, or because they were being respectful. I took it, either way.

From there I headed to Alderaan, in search of a Sith learner.That was the tradition. That was my goal.  
That was how my story began - hunting a Padawan and losing my hand.

I had to find a Sith apprentice.


	9. Anareen Space Port: 10 Days Ago

**Anareen Space Port: Ten days ago.**

Six months had passed since the death of my master and I had yet to find a possible learner to take on.  
In desguise, I had ventured into all the nearby Jedi training centers, but all the children had either been too loyal to the light side, or were just too dumb for me to waste my time on. The fact that they were all working for the light side made them all dumb.  
There was only one place in this quadrant left to check; Alderaan.

The trip to Alderaan took longer than I had planned. I should have bought a faster ship before I left Telos, but that's what I get for being hastey.  
I ended up having to stop at a space port on the way in order to fill my food rations and other supplies. I also had to stretch my legs.

_"Anareen Spaceport, Six-Four-Niner-Four-Three."_, I keyed up my comm.  
There was a long, disturbing silence on the other end.  
Finally I got a response from the controller, _"Niner-Four-Three, Anareen. Go ahead."_  
_"Anareen, Niner-Four-Three, I'm 15 clicks at point Two-Seven-Zero. Inbound to land."_, I responded.  
They came back to me instantly this time. _"Niner-Four-Three, Radar contact. You have docking bay Three One Six."_  
The transmission felt odd. I should have been given a transponder code before getting a clearance to land. But, maybe this was a new guy.

I landed at my dock and exited my ship. The ramp personel were waiting for me at the door.  
I've never been to Anareen before, but my past experience with other ports were not as friendly. It usually took over an hour before the refueler was brought out. I tried to sence any sort of danger, perhaps word had gotten out about me and they were all afraid, but I felt nothing but calmness.

The head of the docking area came right out to me with his hand open, ready to take mine, like we were old friends.  
_"It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain."_, he said as he joined me at my side. I continued walking toward the decontamination chamber._ "I hope you will find everything to your liking during your stay."_, he continued.  
I stopped and turned to him. _"Do I know you?"_  
_"Not that I know of, sir."_, he answered.  
_"Then, why the helpful assistance?"_, I asked.  
_"This is how we treat everyone, here. Working here is great and the benefits are top notch. How else would we act?"_, he replied.  
It was kind of creepy, but I also agreed to meet with the head of the space port, as was the custom of all new travelers, later that evening.

While bartering with a trader on the port, I senced the presence of darkness.  
It was subtle, but getting stronger. I tried to shake it from my head. I figured I was just being paranoid.

I walked toward the armory and had just rounded the corner when my senses alerted me.  
I dropped my supplies and ignited my saber as I flung around. I zeroed my blade at a dark figure right behind me.  
_"WHOA! Hold on stranger!"_, a familiar voice pleaded, raising his hands in the air infront of him.  
The figure stepped out of the shadows so I could put a familiar face to the voice.  
_"Nex!"_, I turned off my saber and put it back in it's holster.

Darth Nexus was another Sith that my master and I had met when I was 18. He was one of the few survivors of a crippled ship we had come across in deep space.  
We planned to loot it, but found a willing defender of the vessel instead – Nex.  
He was a few years younger than me. He would have been an easy kill, but seeing as he was a fellow Sith, we agreed that he could ride with us to the next stop.  
He ended up staying with us for just under a year.

He was my best friend for that time. My only friend.

Nexus' master was killed in the onboard explosion of his ship. He wasn't ready to be released into the universe as a master, yet, and he didn't seem like he had an inner fire to be a full Sith.  
During our 'hanging out', I learned that he always wanted to be someone important. Someone who took up the spotlight. Those aren't the virtues of a Sith.

I turned and regathered my things. Nex helped me carry some of them back towards my ship.  
_"So, what have you and Klo'ek been up too, lately? No good, I assume."_, he chided.  
_"Klo'eks' dead."_, I scowled into my rations.  
_"Oh..."_, his voice went sympatheticly silent. He knew the history of our ways.

We entered the main docking area and I headed straight to my ship.

Nex stopped at the desk near the door. I supposed he was informing security that there were people out on the ramp.

I placed the items I was holding into the rear compartment of my ship and turned around, only to meet the head of the docking area.  
_"I see you're ready to meet our esteemed leader here on the Anareen?"_, his smile was starting to wear me thin.

As he said this I could see Nex walking up behind him, jovially carrying the rest of my things. An odd smile smeared across his face.

The dock boss stepped to the side, _"May I introduce Dr. Douglas Mahn"_, he motioned toward Nex with a bow.  
_"Nex? You're the Captain of this port?"_, I said as the dock boss walked away, towards another ship that was finishing a landing sequence on the far side of the platform.  
_"You got it, buddy."_, he said as he walked around me and put the rest of my things in the rear storage compartment, _"I always told you that I wanted to be someone important. A space port isn't exactly a CEO position, but it's 10 rungs above a janitor."_  
He told me about his climb to the top after me and Klo'ek had left him on Alderaan years ago to start his new life. He also told me about how he got out of the whole 'Sith life', practicing only on occasion just in case..  
_"Doctor? And, why did you take my name?"_, I asked. It seemed odd that he didn't use his own, Ro'ek R'lee.  
_"I like how your name sounds. It's better than mine. Besides, you weren't using it, anymore."_, he smirked. _"The Doctor part is just a fancy add-on."_

Just then, the dock boss ran over to me and Nex. _"Boss, those gaurds over there are looking for your friend." _He said, just as a blaster round exploded through his chest. Nex caught him as he fell and I ignited my saber.

Blocking two rounds from hitting Nex, I lowered the ramp to my ship. Nex dropped the corpse and pulled his own saber, pointing it at the advancing gaurds.  
_"Come on, Nex!"_, I yelled, motioning for him to get on the ship.  
_"Just go, Dra!"_, he yelled back, _"I'll hold them off."_  
I yelled back, _"Hold them off! Fuck! This ship can withstand those pea shooters! Get in, you stubborn bastard!"_  
Nex used the force to close my ramp, blocking my view. I immediately ran to the bridge and started the launch sequence, hoping that Nex would be along shortly.  
Looking out my cockpit window, I saw my only friend die – four blocked rounds, then a single round to the head. There were just too many soldiers.

_"NNEEEEXX!"_, my eyes welled up as I shouted my friends name for the last time. My inner fire lit up inside me; my body felt like a ball of fire. The pheonix was rising, again, and I acted.  
Instead of taking off and shooting them with my cannons, I ran my ship into them; crushing their little bodies like bugs under your foot.  
I remember the last guys' screams as I ground him against the hull and the floor before I lifted up and shot out of that docking bay at twice the regulated speed.

_"Niner-Four.." _I switched the comm off. I wasn't going to talk to anyone.

It was time to head to Alderaan.


	10. Jedi Detention Center: Day 5

**Jedi Detention Center: Day 5**

"_NNEEEXXX!"_, my own voice echoes in my head as a surge of energy rushes from my chest. The next thing I know, I'm laying on the cold floor of my cell.  
I was dreaming; dreaming of memories past.  
During my sleep, I had apparently used the force; my bed is now in splinters.  
I guess I'm not too out of luck. Two droids just ran in here. One is cleaning up the mess - his sidekick is starting to build a new bed frame.  
Like I said: Droids are efficient.

The next hour goes by rather slowly, broken only by a random passing Jedi or technician.  
"_Hey!"_, I yell to one of the passing techs, _"You got a radio, or something? I'm bored."_  
"_Only this one communicator."_, the timid tech says.  
I lower my head into my hand, _"No. A music-playing radio, 'tard. You got any tunes? A cassette player, or even an 8-track?"_ I even put on a 'nice' face.  
"_I'll call a droid."_, he says as he walks away.  
The droid never comes.  
Instead, I get a familiar essence.

"_Good morning, Shorty."_, I say to the pint-sized figure lurking in the dark. _"Haven't seen you a few days. I thought I might have scared you off."_  
Shorty steps forward, revealing herself.  
"_No, I was in beginners training camp. We learned a lot about the Force; Look!"_ She lays a small item on the floor, wrapped in a cloth. She immediately puts her hand over it, making it hover in front of her.  
Letting it hover, she starts to force it toward my cell bars. Her face is cute; I can tell she's struggling to keep it afloat. I used to make that same face when I was learning.  
She keeps forcing it toward my cell, an attempt to offer it to me but, just as it passes near the door it touches on a bar; instantly exploding.  
"_I'm sorry!"_, she pleads, fighting back tears as she stands.  
"_Don't worry about it, Shorty. It takes practice."_, I reassure her.  
Something inside of me is feeling warm right now. Maybe it's her innocent cuteness. Maybe she reminds me of myself. I don't know. For some reason, I actually want to help her learn this. Maybe she will be my new apprentice. After all, I do have to find a learner; and the Force works in mysterious ways.  
Either way, this warm feeling has to go away. I don't like it.

I motion toward the front of my cell door, _"Sit."_ I say as I sit, cross-legged. She sits, cross-legged outside the door, mere inches away from me. She trusts me, now. Good.  
I start with a basic skill. _"Close your eyes and clear your mind. Open your hands, palms up on your knees."_, I do the same in order to coach her. This is how I learned.  
I just realized that we have nothing for her to lift, but I can hear a droid coming around the corner.  
"_Keep your eyes closed."_, I tell her as the droid passes.  
"_Droid! Stay right were you are."_, the droid stops dead in his tracks, right behind Shorty.  
"_Can you sense the droid?"_, I ask her.  
"_Yes. It's a custodial droid. Green."_, she answers with no hesitation.  
I wait a few seconds. I want her to let that image soak in.  
"_Have you ever been in zero gravity?"_, I ask.

"_Yes, Lots of times."_, she answers enthusiastically, opening her eyes to look at me.  
"_Close your eyes!"_, I yell at her out of nowhere. I'm having flashbacks from Klo'eks' teachings, I suppose. She gasps from my start.  
I try to reconvene as friendlily as I can.  
"_Now, what do you think that janitor-droid would look like if it were on the ceiling?"_, I try to imprint the image on her.  
Almost immediately, the droid starts lifting off the ground and rotates to have it's tracks meet the ceiling. She is good. She is strong for her age.

She has other thoughts, though. _"What do I do, now?"_, she asks, holding her eyes closed.  
As calmly as I can I tell her, _"Open your eyes, but keep the droid on the ceiling in your mind."_  
She opens her eyes and looks at me. The droid never wavers.  
I'm satisfied with her performance. _"Turn around and look up."_  
Shorty turns around and looks at the droid on the ceiling, her face lightens up the entire hallway.  
I've decided to show off, a little bit. I use my force ability to lift her off the ground and toward the droid so she can touch it, herself.  
I hold her there, softly, admiring her childlike awe.

"_MICHELLE!"_  
We're busted.  
Shorty turns to her mother and the droid immediately drops to the floor, shattering into several pieces.

Lori runs over and grabs Shorty out of mid-air and hugs her tightly.  
"_What the hell do you think you're doing?"_, she's furious with me as she checks over her daughter.

Shorty comes to my aid, though.

"_Mama, he's a much better teacher than Ar'bas."_, she confides.  
"_Don't listen to him! He's teaching you the ways of the Dark Side_."She turns to me with a scowl.  
"_I knew I couldn't trust you!_, she says, before she storms off.  
"_The Light and the Dark side aren't as different as you think.."_, I start. But she won't hear any of it.  
"_But, mama..."_, Shorty recants. I can't make out the rest as they round he corner.  
All I hear is scuffling.

Only moments pass by before several security personnel near my cell, heavily armed. Lori's mouth is bigger than I thought, I guess.  
"_Sit down, Sith!"_, the lead guard orders.  
"_Make me."_, I'm feeling bold.  
He shoots a blaster round in my direction, but I can feel it coming. It won't come near me, so I don't flinch. His eyes are in disbelief.  
"_I said, SIT DOWN!"_, I can sense that his temper is growing short. I can also sense that my powers are starting to reach further than the cell bars; proved by my ability to lift Shorty, earlier. The Jedi must be distracted with something far greater than the likes of me in order to allow me to control things just outside my prison.

I grab the head guard with the Force and hold him still. The other guards are suddenly stiff.  
Using my other hand, I grab one of the other guards' guns and pull it through the bars.  
It's a small caliber pistol. Not exactly a saber, but a blaster is a blaster.  
"_Get down on your faces!"_, I yell at the others.  
I release the head guard and he falls to his knees. The others lay flat on their stomachs.

I can sense two droids coming. One from each side. Sentinels, most likely.  
I reach down and grab the drain pipe from the sink. I can use this as a makeshift saber.  
The first sentinel appears to my left. I shoot.

Too slow. It already has it's weapon unloaded as my senses pick it up.  
Like slow motion, the round clears my shoulder as I lean back and swing my pipe-saber to block. The round is too big. I can only block a part of it.  
Two more rounds clear my knee just as the other sentinel appears to my right.  
A single round from him pierces my spine and I hit the ground.  
They aren't shooting to kill. These are stun rounds. They planned this attack and they want me alive, for some reason.  
I'm on the floor, unable to move. Breathing is getting hard as I try to focus.  
'Breath deeply', my inner voice is saying.  
Two more stun rounds from the droids..

One...too...man...

I'm out.

Like I said: Droids are efficient.


	11. Alderaan: 5 Days Ago

**Alderaan: Five Days ago**

I landed on the outskirts of a small un-named town on Alderaan just as dawn broke. The city was  
starting to come to life as I walked into the main section of town.  
It reminded me of my hometown. Small, slow-paced - with a country feel.  
The only difference was the modernized 'barns' made of titanium instead of wood. They also held  
Shaaks, imported from Naboo, instead of cows; a slightly different creature.  
Shaaks tend to eat, or atleast chew wood. Shaaks are also known to topple a wooden barn in a matter of hours, hence the titanium.

_"Where can I get a ride into the big city?"_, I asked a little kid, probably all of 8 years old, in his front yard. He just stared at me with wide eyes. I stared back for what seemed like an eternity.  
_"Thanks, kid."_, I finally scoffed and started to turn away.

I suddenly heard a female voice behind me. _"You want to go to the city?"_, she asked.  
I turned to see a young girl, maybe 16 years old in earth years.  
_"I can take you."_, she said as she smiled at me, awkwardly, and boosted her preadolescent posture at me. _"I'm Nazereen."_  
_"Are you sure you can reach the controls?"_, I chided her over-confidence.

_"I'm old enough. I go out in the 'lead-sled' all the time.", _she assured.

I followed her to the barn in the back where she revealed an antique glider fitted with a repulsorlift engine; rusted and beaten up from years of service on the farm. It reminded me of the tractor from my own farm. Mine was a 1952 Ford, but it could pull a 3ft wide stump out the field without breaking a sweat.

I threw my bag in the back seat of the "lead-sled". _"Why do you call it the lead sled?"_, I asked.  
_"It runs on fossil fuels - lead based dirivitives."_, she started the engine with a little effort. A huge cloud of black smoke escaped from the back, _"It's one of the few remaining ones on the planet."_  
_"It smells like a diesel."_, I said, forgetting my surroundings as the familiar smell made me flash back to my farm tractor, again.  
_"Diesel? What's that?"_, she asked.  
_"Nevermind."_, I said as I jumped into the passengers' seat.  
For an old machine, it really did move along the streets at an alarming rate. Trees passed by in blurs and the big city shown on the horizon on a few minutes.

Nazereen was quiet during the entire trip, but she kept looking over at me and smiling when she thought I wasn't looking. I don't think she knew I could sence everything that was going on.  
She had an obvious crush on me. She was cute, but way too young.

We entered the city and came to a stop near some warehouses. I could feel the presence of a Jedi as we parked.  
My mind was on alert.

I started to lift up and climb over the side of the glider just as I felt something touch my leg.  
_"Are you going so quickly?"_, Nazerene asked, her hand clasped on my left thigh.  
She leaned over toward me, revealing her low-cut neck line and it's contents.  
_"You're too young, kid."_, I said, stealing a slight glimpse before I started to walk away, my hand reached for my saber.  
_"I'm a grown woman!"_, she yelled as I walked off.  
I wasn't paying attention, though. I could now sence two jedi in the area. A master and a learner; a young learner.

I rounded a corner and saw them, both. I ignited my saber, already in my hand, and drew the attention of the Jedi. The master told the learner to stand back and keep safe.  
I advanced on the older Jedi, bringing my blade to cross his. We parried back and forth, our blades a blur.  
On a cross, I threw him back and remembered the learner. I Forced a large box toward him.  
The little chicken ran into the back of the warehouse just as the crate crashed in front of him.  
The older Jedi came at me again. I blocked high. Blocked low. Blocked high again and kicked him in the groin.  
As he knealed on the ground I dropped a large crate on his body, crushing him to death.  
_"What are you doing?"_, I heard a surprised voice from behind. Nazerene had followed me into the warehouse. She saw my lit red blade; a universal sign of the Sith.  
_"Go away, kid! I've got business to attend too."_, I yelled at her and she backed away. I waited for the sound of a diesel engine starting and headed into the back of the warehouse to look for the little one.

The hum of my blade was the only sound reverberating around the large warehouse; the red hue  
barely lighting my way between the aisles.

My senses were on full alert.  
I was hunting.

Somewhere in that warehouse was my prey; a young Jedi, a Padawan. The force was  
not very strong with him.

"_Come out. Come out. Where ever you are"_. My voice was low and slithery from an accident in  
my youth. It's creepy enough to scare a herd of Sand People. It should work well on this little brat.

Sparks flew heavily to my feet as I dragged my lightsaber across the container casings, like a child  
walking along a picket fence. I found this had two benefits. Not only did it scare the willies out  
of people, but it also helped light up the room.

Movement – to my left.  
I lifted my blade over my head, ready to bring it down on the cowering child hiding on the other side  
of this case.

There was a flash of light. My hand, it was gone!  
Then the pain set in.  
I watched my lightsaber as it switched off and tumbled to the floor.  
"_How?.."_ The pain amplified my confusion as I dropped to my knees. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, I spit on the floor to keep from vomiting.  
_"You are placed under arrest, Sith."_ an older voice from behind me beckoned. _"Give yourself up, or I will be forced to kill you."_

"_Give up? Heh! I gave up a long time ago, kiddo."_ I scoffed through the pain that was coursing up my  
arm. Good thing lightsabers cauterize wounds instantly, otherwise I'd have bled to death all  
over the cold, titanium floor.

How could I have been so stupid? I was over confident. I didn't check the older Jedi's body  
before I left him for dead.

Now I'm a prisoner in a Jedi detention center; have been for almost a week.  
I need to get out of here, and soon.

Authors' note:  
I hope that the constant switching from past to present hasn't been too confusing. From here on out, it's all present. I promise. I've just completed the circle of the past.  
Nazerene may make a come back. I'm not sure, yet.


	12. Escape: Day 0

Author's note: I changed the gender of 'Rocky' after realizing my big mistake.  
I also made her British, to match her real life persona.  
Realize that; Rocky could lift Dragger by using the force.

**Jedi Detention Center: Escape Day +0**

"_Wakie-wakie, sleepy head."_  
I'm awoken with a cold splash of water to the face.  
I'm coming to, but I can't move. My arms are on fire.  
I seem to be chained to the wall. There's a strange figure standing in front of me, but my eyes can't focus on it.  
"_It's time to get you out of here."_, a suddenly familiar voice says.

I recognize it, but from where? "_A long lost friend."_, she says. She must be reading my mind.  
The fuzzy figure lifts me, but from far away. She must be using the Force. Another Sith? Here?  
The chains that are holding me to the wall are suddenly pulled away. My arms drop from the sudden release and I'm hoisted onto her back and carried out of the cell.

I can hear blaster pistols firing down the hallway - Light sabers whir against them. What the hell is going on?  
My eyes are starting to come back. I can make out the backside of the boots of this gal who's carrying me.  
"_Put me down. I can walk."_, I choke through the bouncing.  
"_Not until we're at a safe distance, Old Top." _She continues carrying me through a few more hallways. This detention center is larger than I originally thought.

She sits me down and leans me against the wall. I can finally see her face. "_Rocky!"_, I try to stand, but she forces me back down.

"_What are you doing here, Rock?"_, I ask.  
"_We're getting you out of here."_, she reaches into her inside pocket and hands me my light saber. _"Here, Special delivery."_

But, this isn't my saber. Well, technically it is, but it isn't my latest one. It's the one I lost in a bet with a girl in Coruscant. That girl was Rocky, another fellow Sith that Nex and I had met a few years ago. Rocky was a braggart at the poker tables and proved her skill by cleaning me out of everything - including my light saber. To attest for my own skill - at one point I had won her left boot, but she quickly won it back. Nex and I hung out with her all that week before Klo'ek and I brought Nex to Alderaan. I had heard that Rocky and Nex met back up on Alderaan and stayed pretty close, but I haven't heard anything else in years. Right now isn't time for a reunion, however. There appears to be a small war going on just down the hall.

After a short rest, I stand and run with Rocky through a few more hallways. Explosions rock the very foundation of this center every once in a while, knocking parts and ice down to the floor. We round the last corner as a wave of panic flows through me. Rocky ignites her saber and lifts to strike someone, but something inside me doesn't feel right. The panic level I'm feeling climbs through the roof. I pull and block Rocks' blade from hitting the little person in front of him. There, standing in front of Rocky, is Shorty. She's holding a younglings' saber.  
It's short blade, visibly shaking out of fear.

"_What are you doing, Dragger?"_, Rocky demands, _"She's just a Jedi. A waste of meat."_  
I put my hand on her shoulder to pull her back. _"No..she's not. She's my new apprentice."_  
Rocky just stares at me as I walk up to Shorty and hoist her up on my hip. She turns her blade off and looks at me. She recognizes what I'm talking about - a silent conversation between our eyes.  
All three of us run off down the hall toward the hangers

Just as we enter the hanger bay Shorty speaks up. _"I can't leave without my mom."_  
Dear God, why the hell did she have to wait until now to say something? The blasters and sabers are getting closer.  
"_Are you sure your mom wants to come along?"_, I ask.  
"_Yes."_, she answers short, but sweetly.  
I think about things for a second. For one, I don't want another woman dragging along. On the other hand, it's her mother. If I had the chance to see mine again...

"_Where is she?"_, I ask.  
"_In our room. Number 314."_, she answers.  
I set her down on her feet and kneel down. _"Go to the ship with Rocky and wait for me. I'll get your mom and be back shortly!"_

Just then, two guards enter the docking bay and start firing rounds at us. I yell at Shorty to go and turn to face the guards. I ignite my blade and block several rounds as I advance on them.  
Two easy kills; one beheading and the other through the chest as I continue on my way back into the hallways.

Those two guards must have been lost from their group. These hallways are eerily empty.  
Opps – spoke too soon.

Rounding the last corner, I run smack-dab into a whole heard of troops dressed in their white battle armor. Luckily they didn't see me. I duck into a cubby around the corner. It looks like a klan meeting at the end of the hall. I'm going to have to find another way around.

You know, the Force works in mysterious ways. Either that, or I'm extremely lucky.  
I hear footsteps approaching and, who do you think is passing by? None other than Lori.  
I step out behind her and grab her, covering her mouth to keep her from screaming.  
"_I have your daughter."_, I whisper into her suddenly frightened ears. Her fear is expected, but I didn't think she was that much of a fighter.  
Before I can tell her that she's safe on the ship, I'm wheeling over her shoulder and laying on my back.  
_"Ow."_, it's the only sound I can utter.

She puts her foot on my throat, _"Where is she?"_  
I can't answer with her foot in place. She turns toward the corner and yells for the guards. Instantly, I can hear the entire fleet of klansmen coming.  
I grab her foot and force it to the side. _"I saved her life, you twit. We were getting on the ship when she asked if I could come back for you. And, here I am, getting you."_  
The footsteps are getting closer. Lori thinks for second while looking at me on the ground and at the corner where the guards are sure to round at any second.  
She puts her hand down, offering to lift me up.  
I take it and stand, igniting my blade just as the first wave of blaster rounds enter the hallway. I'm prepared to do the best I can to fight off the crowd. Lori's run off to the hangers, already.

I walk backwards as I redirect a massive wave of blaster rounds, but it's starting to be too much. I don't know how much longer I can hold off.  
A round made it past my blade, I wasn't fast enough.  
Luckily it got my mechanical hand, so it doesn't hurt. But it's shorted out. I can't use it.

Blocking with one hand is getting extremely hard. It's time to give up. I've had a good run in this life and the everyone else is safe in the ship.  
I lower my blade to the ground. I'm going to let them finish me.

The round with my name on it comes in slow motion. I can actually hear it leave the barrel as it heads for my chest.  
My heart is pounding in my ears. My brain is screaming for me to defend myself, but I maintain my blades' position on the floor.  
Here it comes.

They say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes.  
I see nothing. But, my brain is going so fast that these last few seconds seem to be going on for hours.  
I close my eyes as I feel the round nearing. It's going to hit me, square in the heart.  
It's a good shot.  
An excellent marksman.  
Or a lucky shot.

Suddenly, I hear a deflection. A lightsaber blade is ignited infront of me.  
It's Lori! I open my eyes and look at her in a split second.  
She looks at me, unspeaking, but her face tells me everything. She nods. I lift my blade and time regains its normal speed for me.  
For the first time in recorded history a blue blade joins the side of a red blade in order to fight together.  
We block the endless array of laser shots, sending many back and knocking down the hordes as we back down the hallway; toward the hangers.

As we enter the hanger blaster rounds fill the bay. This will surely alert the other Sith.  
Sure enough. Several red blades ignite and come rushing to our aide.  
With enough help backing us, we all board the ship.  
I run to the bridge to check the launch sequence. Lori's at my heels.  
We find Shorty sitting in the navigators' seat with a familiar looking man sitting in the pilots' station.

"_Nex!"_, I put my hand on the his shoulder as he turns around, _"I thought you were dea-.."_, I stop short as I stare at his mangled face.  
The upper right side of his face that caught the blaster round on the Anareen port is completely replaced with metal plating. His eye is now a glowing red robotic lens.  
_"It's only a flesh wound."_, he giggles.  
Since it has only been a few days since I left him on the port the stitching along the joints were still raw and crusty. I'm not really sure how he's managed to function in public.  
_"You're a site for a sore eye, too."_, he says as he lifts the ship off the hanger floor. He can see my shock in my face.  
Rocky comes up front and leans over my shoulder, _"Let's get the hell out of here."_

We lift off, leaving Hoth far behind. A caravan of ships follow us into the nether.  
I have no idea who they are. I don't know why they helped me.  
All I know is that they're freindly to the Sith. Or, atleast, friendly to Rocky and Nex.


	13. A New Home

**A New Home.**

"_I don't feel comfortable with you teaching my daughter the ways of the Dark Side."_, Lori said, her arms folded into her sleeves as she walks along side me in the halls of the ship.  
"_I told you, already. There's very little difference between the Light and Dark Side."_, I confide.  
I had just finished a session on mind control with Shorty when her mother came in and found us; prompting the end of said lesson. Lori and I took a walk so I could convince her to let me take Shorty on as my new apprentice or, atleast make it look legite to my fellow Sith that I was, in fact, training a 'former' Jedi.  
Lori continued, _"Throughout my life I was told that the Light and Dark sides were two different faces of a coin. One good side, one bad. Now you're trying to say otherwise?"_, she stops and faces me.

Even though I had never told my old master - I had been secretly studying the Jedi for quite some time. I learned their ways, their beliefs, their entire set of rules. I knew the Jedi better than some Jedi knew their own ways. I was also learning the ways of the Sith from my master. I was putting a lot of two's and two's together as I grew up.

I had a special speech that I practiced, several times, in my head for whenever this conversation would have come to pass. That day has finally come. _"The only difference between the Jedi and the Sith are the clothes."_, I start.  
Lori cuts my start short, _"Come on! The Sith are all about dominance; about show; they let their emotions run their actions."_  
"_And, the Jedi don't?"_, I ask, raising my left eyebrow and crossing my arms – outside the sleeves.  
Lori's eyes widen as she takes a step back and looks at the floor – then the ceiling. I can feel a sense of confusion coming from her. Then awareness.  
She stares at me for a second, then storms off – back the way we came. Her dishwater-blonde ponytail bobbing with every frustrated step.  
"_THAT'S NOT VERY JEDI-LIKE!"_, I yell at her as her emotions control her gait.

As I turn toward the bridge I feel a familiar presence.  
"_That's some way to get some pussy."_, Rocky says, her arms folded as she leans against the wall.  
She's changed out of the drab over-hanging rags that she wore to get me out of the prison, and now wears a tightly clad leather ensemble.  
For only being 15 she has the shape of a grown adult, but my morals still reside in me.  
Moral; definitely not a Sith trait.  
If I had a Sith boss, I'd have been fired by now. I'm not very good at this job.

Rocky shoves off the wall and starts to pace me down the hall. _"I don't see why you're chasing that prude, when you could easily have a sure thing."_, she turns her head toward me with a smirk glued to her face.  
"_I'm not chasing her... And, No."_, I lower my eyes to the ground to keep from looking at her.  
She always was an attractive young lady, but time would have to overcome her before I would consider anything further than being a friend.  
Either way, she was too old for me to take her on as a formal apprentice. And too young to take her on as a partner.  
She was the perpetual 'Middle child' - not the heir, not the Baby.

She crosses her arms as she walks. _"Fine. Have it your way."_, she scours and stops. I keep walking, as if I didn't notice that she wasn't next to me anymore.  
_"Grrr!"_, she screams the typical teenaged rage and storms off the opposite direction - her arms straight at her sides.  
That's another thing about younger girls. The rage.  
Rage is a good Sith trait. She gets it easily. I don't.

I walk into the crew's quarters, only to meet Nex. He's sitting on a cot, applying salve to the stitching on his face. He looks up as he notices me.  
_"Damn cybernetics! They itch like nothing else."_, he says, wrapping his face in a bandage.  
_"I know what you mean."_, I say, pulling back my sleeve to reveal my still un-repaired hand. Most of the fingers still work. The index and middle finger have a detent that clicks at half span, but the pinky and ring finger are dead. The thumb works fine. I've been sufficing well enough for these past 3 days, but it's getting annoying.  
_"Do you have any tools around here?"_, I asked Nex. He looks around and pulls a sachel out of a cabinet. He plops it down on the table in front of me and I search through it's contents for a small screwdriver.  
I finally pull the tattered glove off for the first time since the blaster hit it. Sure enough, the 'I' pillars that form my new knuckles have a slight bend to them.  
Fixing them takes no more than unscrewing them and pounding them straight with a small hammer.  
I'll need replacement pistons for my other two fingers, however.

_"So, Nex, Who are all these Sith and why did they help get me out of there?"_, I ask as I finish putting my fingers back on.  
_"Well, long story short,"_, Nex starts, _"They are a small sect of Sith that have fallen under the same situations as we have. They are all unwilling followers of the Dark Side, but have a reputation that won't allow them into the Jedi order. Most of them just want to be normal people - normal with certain advantages, anyway..."_, Nex stands up and puts his hands on his hips as he stares out the window at the endless array of stars, _"...I met most of them on Alderaan and on the space port when they'd come in with their masters. Darth D'iam actually helped me get the command post on the space port. I've kept in contact with most of them and helped the majority escape or kill their masters."_  
I listened intently. I'd never known that there were so many Sith just like me, but the question still nagged, _"But, how did you know were I was?"_, I asked as I put my glove back on and stood next to Nex at the window.  
_"We have a visitor that just boarded from another ship. She'll be able to answer that for me."_, Nex puts his hand on my shoulder just as the door behind me swooshed open.  
I turn around to see...

_"Nazerene?"_

Nazerene steps into the room and stands in front of me; her hand on her hip as she gives me an "I told you so" look.  
Nex walks around me and stands next to Nazerene. _"You remember Nazerene or, 'baby-face' as we call her."_  
Nazerene does a little twirl, showing me her entire figure, _"I told you I was a grown woman - 24, in fact."_  
I try to hide the shock on my face, but I don't think I'm doing a good job. My mouth is still hanging open since she walked in. _"You sure fooled me."_

_"Tell him how we found him, dear."_, Nex beckons Nazerene as he takes a seat next to her.  
Nazerene motions for me to sit as she sits across from Nex. As I take the chair next to Nex she starts to tell her side of the story, starting from back at the warehouse, where I last saw her.

_"When you got out of the lead sled, I followed you. I could sense the Jedi, also, and figured you might need some help. I was peeking in the door when the Jedi master saw me and I drew his attention away from you. That's when you kicked him in his...you-know-whats."_, she holds her hands in a carrying position to mime a pair of male genetalia, _"I figured I was busted, so I asked you what you were doing. You told me to go away, but I didn't. I ran back to the sled and drove it around the block and ran back._  
_By the time I got back to the warehouse, you were already being arrested. After you passed out from losing your hand I heared the Jedi master radio in that you were going to Hoth."_, she sits forward and leans toward Nex, _"That's when I got on my comm to Nexus. He took care of the rest."_  
Nex turns to me with a smug look.

Just then, there was a bang on the side of the ship. The lights flicker a few times and then they're out.  
We all just sit there in the dark for a second when I hear Nex speak, _"What's going on?"_  
I open my mouth to answer him when I hear a static filled voice. He wasn't speaking to me, he was on his comm link.  
Over the radio I hear, _"We've just entered the outer asteroid field. We're blasting as many as we can, but a few are getting past us. We sure could use a few gunners up here."_  
_"We're on it."_, Nex says as I hear him stand up._"Let's get up to the bridge."_, he says shortly.  
_"How are we supposed to find our way in the dark?"_, I ask.  
_"Oh yeah, you guys don't have infrared vision."_, Nex says,_ "Well, check this out..."_  
Suddenly, a flashlight turns on and wisps around the room. It takes me a second to realise that it's actually coming from Nexus' cyborg eye. _"This is one benefit to being computerized."_, he laughs.

We follow Nex to the bridge. There is enough light filling the room from the distant sun so Nex turns off his eye as we enter. The foreground of the front view finder is filled with a small blue planet with one moon.  
_"Where are we going?"_, I ask as I take a seat in one of the many gunner chairs.  
Rocky looks back at me from the navigators' post with a small smile.

_"Earth."_

Rocky turns back to her duties just as quickly.  
Nex shouts over to me over the barrage of asteroids hitting the ship,

_"Welcome home, buddy."_


	14. Going Home

**Going Home.**

Entering Earth seems to be a lot harder than any other planet. The upper atmosphere must be thicker than most of the other planets.  
Rocky tells the pilot to face the bottom of the ship into the flight stream, presumably to slow us down. As we enter, a ball of fire engulfs the ship. Flames lick past the window to my left as the ship starts to buck and teeter left and right.  
Through the side window, I can see fingers of flames forming around our wing man's ship as he puts his ship's bottom to the air.  
In the distance, I see one ship blow to pieces and begin falling to earth as they burn up.  
"_We just lost At'pet!"_, Rocky yells from her post.  
"_Fuck!"_, Nex yells from his gunner seat, _"He was a good man."_

Falling through 58,000ft the ship finally settles down.  
"_The steering is shot, we have limited control."_, the pilot says as the large land mass appears underneath us. The shape of it brings me back to elementary school. Miss. Coverly had a large map on the wall in the back of the classroom. The real life view is the exact copy of that image. An image that few humans will ever see.  
At least for the next few decades.

"_We're going to have to decide where to land, now"_, Rocky says, _"We won't have time to redirect, later."_  
I think for a second. After a second, my decision is made. I'm going home. _"Head for that body of water to the west of that peninsula."_, I point toward west Michigan.

Falling below 28,000ft the radio comes alive. "_Chicago Approach to Unidentified object at Flight Level 28, You have entered Class B airspace, Squawk 4157 and state your intentions."_, the voice on the other end sounds worried, but perturbed, over our unannounced arrival.  
Rocky looks back at me with a confused face, then Nex. _"I don't know what he's talking about. What's a squawk?"_  
I look back at her and shake my head. I've never heard that phrase before, myself.  
Lori walks over to Rocky's console and pushes the PTT button. _"Alpha-Hotel-Golf-Six-Four-Two-Three-Two, Chicago Approach. Two-Three-Two is unable to squawk due to mechanical failure."_, Rocky scoots out of her seat and Lori fills in. _"I've come back to Earth several times. I know the procedures here."_, she reassures us all.  
The radio responds, _"Two-Three-Two, State your intentions."_  
"_Chicago Approach, Two-Three-Two. May-day. We've lost our engines, landing gear and steering. We're going to splash down near Holland, Michigan – 8 miles out. 7 souls on-board. Requesting Coast Guard to our location."_, Lori said into the radio, like she'd been doing it for years.

The once perturbed voice is now a voice of hustling and short bursts of orders – both to us and other aircraft in the air. _"Northwest Airlines-Eight-Five-Two, Chicago. Turn heading Three-Six-Zero...Global Freightway Niner-Two-One, Chicago. Turn heading Two-Seven-Zero. Climb and maintain Flight Level Two-Two."_, Straight ahead of us, we can make out two small craft turning to their respective courses as the pilots respond, then Approach came back to us. _"Two-Three-Two, you are clear to Lake Michigan, proceed on course. Coast Guard is en route to your destination for assistance. Chicago."_  
Lori quickly reads back the response and our pilot pulls the controls, heavily, toward the lake.  
At this point I just realized that Lori had lied to the Controller. Our steering is shot, but we have full engine power.  
I also just realized that we can't land a hovering craft at an International airport on an 'M' Class planet. She's thinking ahead. Smart girl.

We shoot, quickly, to about a foot over the surface. The pilot brings the ship to a hover and slowly lowers it into the water. Our sensors are picking up several water based vessels closing on our location – the Coast Guard. We have to act quickly. Everyone gathers near the exit ramp as the pilot opens the hatch. We all step out onto the top of the ship as steam rolls off the body, still hot from our entry into the atmosphere.  
Rocky looks at her wrist communicator, _"They are only a half click away. Do it."_, she points to the pilot.  
With that, the pilot slowly lowers the ship into the water as the hatch closes. Shorty grabs onto me and I hoist her onto my hip. _"Don't worry."_, I say to her worried face, _"Everything will be O.K."_  
The ship will have no problem surviving the depths of the water. I can feel it fall away from my feet as I'm suddenly buoyant, as is the rest of the crew.  
Everyone except Nex; he goes down like an anchor.

"_Rock! Nazerene! Get Nex! I think his metal is too heavy to float!"_, I shout over the waves wisping past us.  
Rocky and Nazerene dive straight down just as the first Coast guard ship arrives.

"_Ahoy!"_, comes a voice from the ship, _"U.S. Coast Guard. We'll have you out in a minute."_

Several flotation devices are thrown into the water, along with several men dressed in diving gear.A diver approaches me first and takes Shorty from me - putting her on a float. _"Don't worry, sweat heart, we'll get you aboard, shortly."_, he says to her, trying to calm her.  
From the safety of her float she looks at him, then at me, then back at him. _"My name is Shorty."_, her voice is as adamant as it was on Hoth. She isn't afraid, anymore. She is in control of her situation.  
Just now, Nazerene, Rocky and Nex come to the surface. Two divers rush to them and help Nex who's definitely having a problem keeping on the surface. The added weight shows on the girl's faces.  
One of the divers looks at Nex and pulls back. _"What's wrong with his face!"_, he asks Rocky.  
I can sense the Force coming from her as she looks at the diver. _"There's nothing wrong with his face."_, she says, casually.  
"_Oh."_, the diver says back. Rocky had just, obviously, used the Force to cloud the diver's mind in order to make Nex look normal.

As we're all brought on board the ship the captain comes up to us. _"Welcome aboard. We've got a crew ready to recover you plane."_, he says, shaking our hands.  
We all look quickly at each other. None of us know what to say.

Lori, taking a lead from Rocky's earlier exploit says, _"Our plane is fine where it is."_  
The captain looks at her, still faced. _"Your plane is fine where it is."_, he copycats.  
Hmm, I guess Lori's picking up some traits of the Dark Side. The Jedi are usually against forcing others to do or say anything. They try to 'influence' people to do what they want, not force them. What she just let out was definitely a forced statement.  
She has some real potential.  
I chuckle under my blanket that the Coast Guards gave us to keep warm, but I guess I don't hide it well enough because Lori punches me in the shoulder to show me she's on to me, then turns her back to me.  
The captain calls off the salvage crew as we turn and head for the distant shore.

The ride to shore takes about an hour and the sun is setting, quickly.  
This is when we realize that none of us have any earth money or any living supplies. A well prepared bunch, we are.

The boat that's taking us to shore is already clouded in a blanket of dark as to hide the fact that we: Actually landed in a space craft; We want our ship to stay under water; and Nex has an exposed steel plate that constitutes half of his head. A lake full of shit won't mind if you take a piss in it, I figure, so I head to the captains' quarters."_We need food and shelter for the night."_, I say to the captain as I enter the door.  
To my surprise, I don't have to use mind control to get anything from him. He stands from his chair and grabs a pamphlet from a shelf. Handing it to me he says, _"Just tell them it's compliments of the Coast Guard."_  
The pamphlet belongs to the local Holiday Inn.

That night, all seven of us live it up in the fanciest hotel that Holland has to offer; Cable TV. Swimming pool. Room service. Lake side view (as if we wanted to see anymore of that)...and a free shuttle bus to anywhere we want to go.

As my group enjoys the high life I sneak away from the crowd and take a tour, using the force to commender the bus - without a driver - to my old neighborhood.

Back to my old farm.

Or, what's left of it.


	15. Rising From Ashes

**Rising From Ashes.**

I find it amazing how so much can change over such a little time. Finding the old roads that I was once accustomed too – the once dirt packed and deserted country roads – are now paved and flourishing with urban expanse.  
I turn the bus north at the same old street corner, now occupied with a Pizza Hut and a Subway where once stood an old bait shop and the Post Office.

Reaching the outskirts of town, however, everything starts to look like it did 16 years ago. Corn grows in the fields on both sides of the road and the familiar old houses of my old neighbors are still run down, with makeshift repairs done by the poor old farmers.

The tree line ends and I see my old schoolhouse still standing in the middle of an empty grass field. New, plastic playground equipment replaces the old, rusty metal swings and slides that I used to play on. Across the street from the school is a forest, surrounding the dirt road that leads to my old house.

I turn the bus onto Berry St. My old farm is only a mile down the road from the corner. Images of what the house must look like flash through my mind. I take a deep breath and let the bus creep at idle speed as I look at the forest passing slowly by. The low hanging tree branches scrape against the roof of the bus.I remember a lot of these trees. I remember them being a lot smaller, but I remember them all.

Suddenly, I see something familiar.  
I stop the bus in the middle of the dirt road and, getting out of the drivers seat, I walk up to a tree with a small 'M' marked into the bark.  
The mark is old, weathered and grown over, but it's still identifiable. I just hope my old stash is still intact.

I peer behind the tree. I'm looking for my old treasure chest. Finally, I see the corner of my old steel lock box that I kept trinkets in as a child. Time and weather has buried most of it in the dirt and the tree has grown a large root over it, locking it to the ground. Digging it out isn't going to be a very easy task. Unless...

I look back at the bus and down the street, making sure no one is coming.I pull out my lightsaber and carefully cut the root and surrounding ground to free my box that has become a makeshift time-capsule.I pull the box out of the ground and look it over. Rust has taken it's toll.  
I don't have the key for the lock. I left it in the house – in my dresser - all those years ago. I just hope it's still there.  
I just hope that the house, itself, is still there.

Our field starts about a 100 yards from this tree. That means the the house is over the next hill.  
I bring the box to the bus and continue idling down the road.  
The start of our field comes as a shock to me.

Where corn and wheat once grew, plentifully, now stands an unattended weed field that stands over 4ft tall. It's completely unidentifiable from any other wild field. Cresting the hill, I can see the remains of my house. The once bright yellow is now a tanish white - faded from the years. The back half is still in shambles and missing parts of the walling and roof. The widows are boarded up and the front door is covered with signs that state the dwelling is condemned. I pull into the overgrown driveway and shut the bus' engine off. I'm starting to have mixed feelings. I don't want to get out. My mother was killed here on that tragic day, and I don't want to disturb the makeshift memorial. On the other hand, I have to see the house. I have to know exactly what happened here. This land is also my birthright; my small, personal, 40 acre chunk of this planet.I get out.

I walk up to the house and push on the front door. It won't budge.Again, I look around to make sure no one is coming up the street and pull out my lightsaber.  
I hold the humming blade out in front of me. My breathing gets faster as I anticipate what I'm about to walk into.  
I lower my blade into the wooden door.  
Cutting the rotten wood is like slicing warm butter.

The door swings open with a loud squeak. Dust fills the air in the living room as birds fly from their perches on the dust covered furniture and shelving. I step inside, slowly, feeling the floor creak under my weight. I'm the first person to set foot inside this house in a very long time; probably the first since the last fireman left the scene. This part of the house is left exactly the way I remember it – plus a lot of dust - before I left for school that morning, all those years ago. My report card still sits on the coffee table - my mother's signature at the bottom. I pick it up and stuff it in my inside pocket. Knick knacks still fill the shelves, but it looks like the birds have been having a nice time making themselves at home. I also realize that birds will poop on anything.

The stairs creak under my feet as I walk up to the second floor and to my old bedroom. As I swing the door open, I have a flashback to my last day here. I can hear my mother's voice. _"Doug. Wake up, sweety. You have to feed the chickens before you go to school."_  
A tear runs from my eye, uncontrolled.  
I pull my dresser drawer open. My old clothes still neatly folded in stacks, now too small for me to ever wear again.  
I see my key sitting under my underwear and put it in my pocket.  
Suddenly, I hear a sound from downstairs – the creaking of footsteps.

Using the force to lighten my gait, I descend the stairs to the halfway point. The trespasser is about to round the corner, I have to act quickly in order to get a jump on him.  
I pull my lightsaber and jump to the bottom of the stairs, bringing the unlit handle over my right shoulder and reaching for the switch to ignite it before bringing it down on the intruder when I suddenly recognize the aged face.

With wide eyes, the man speaks, _"Whoa! What? You gonna hit me with a pipe, Man?"_  
Luckily my quick reflexes keep me from igniting my saber; otherwise I'd have to explain the whole thing to Ben, my best friend from school.  
"_Ben."_, I say, bringing the handle down to my side, _"Son of a bitch."._  
Ben comes at me and gives me a big bear hug, _"Dude, I haven't seen you in years! Where have you been?"_, he asks as he lets me go.  
I'm about to put my lightsaber on my belt clip when I suddenly realize that I can't explain why I'd be putting a plumber's pipe there in front of him, so I toss it on the coffee table as if it were a piece I picked up from the rubble. I go on to explain (lie) about how I was living in Europe with my estranged uncle until he passed away.  
He seems to be buying it.  
He tells me how he bought the farm next door after his family's house burned down, some 5 years ago.

"_I saw a bus parked outside when I drove by, so I thought I'd better investigate."_, he explains, _"I'm just glad I did. It's good to see you again."_  
He looks around at the rubble and asks what I plan to do with the land. I hadn't really thought about it. It hadn't really sunk in until now that this land really was all mine – every square inch. The decision came as quickly as the question. _"I'm going to rebuild everything. Start from scratch in the farming business."_, I say. Then I remember about all the Sith refugees back at the hotel.  
_"I have a lot of friends that need a place to stay,while we rebuild."_, I hint to Ben. Since he's next door I figure that it would be easier to keep all the Sith in one area until they can acclimate to living on an 'M' class planet.

He doesn't even hesitate,_"You can all stay with me until then."_, Ben offers.  
I agree with a handshake.  
We walk out of the house and Ben goes back toward his home. I make my way back to the hotel and explain to everyone the plans for the next day.  
Later, I open my lock box. Inside are a bunch of papers from the teacher that I was supposed to bring home to my mom to sign.  
They never made it. "Hmm, I wonder why?" I chuckle to myself.  
Under them, I find a picture; a picture of me and mom the halloween after my father and brother were killed. I was too embarrassed of the picture back then to allow my mother to keep it. Now it's the only thing I have to remind me of her.  
I put the picture on the night stand and stare at it until I fall asleep.

The next morning I arose early in order to gather everyone together. Once everyone is together we check out of the hotel and use the shuttle bus, under normal circumstances this time, to get dropped off at the farm. Pulling up to the house, I see that Ben is already here with his truck, unloading a bunch of tools from the back. He already has a stack of lumber piled near the house.  
"_Well, it's about time you city folks got out of bed."_, he laughs as we all get off the bus.  
I wave the bus driver off and walk over to Ben as the rest of my group scatters and looks in awe around the house. I grab Ben's hand and thank him for coming out to help.

I look around, taking in the morning smells and sounds.Birds chirp in the trees. The air smells of wet grass from the morning dew. I squint from the morning sun rising over the forest from the east. Something I'll have to get used too, again, since Earth is one of the few planets that spins counter-clockwise.  
"_So, what's the plan?"_, Ben asks, looking at the rubble at the backside of the house.  
Shorty comes up to me. _"Where are the Hoses?"_, she asks.  
I kneel down to her with a confused look, _"Hoses?"_ I think for a second, _"Oh, you mean the Horses?"._  
"_All of your horses were sold at auction in order to help pay for the taxes on this land – along with all the other animals. On top of that, all the farmers in the community have been chipping in; in hopes that you'd return some day."_, he says, looking at the ground and shuffling his foot in the gravel. _"Old man Anderson bought most of your animals, but time takes its toll."_, he says, hinting that my old animals have long passed on.

I stand and bring Shorty in front of Ben. _"This is Shorty. My appren..."_, I catch myself in mid-sentence, _"...my daughter."_, It's the only rational relationship that comes to mind at the second. _"So, this must be your wife?"_, Ben asks as Lori walks up behind me and picks up Shorty. Lori looks at me for a second, confused, then at Ben.  
"_That's right. I'm Lori."_, she starts, but Ben interrupts her.  
"_Lori from Miss Coverly's class! It's been a long time!"_, he says, excitedly laughing as he shakes her empty hand.

From behind me I can sense Nazarene approaching, _"And this is Nazarene."_, I say, stepping to the side.  
Nazarene and Ben shake hands as they look at each other, intently, for a few seconds too long.  
I think I sense a love connection, here.

In the distance a loud rumble comes from over the hill. I recognize that sound – tractors, and a lot of them. A few minutes later all the farmers from the surrounding area pull into the driveway to help in the construction project. Apparently, Ben had called everyone last night and told them that I was back and that we needed their help, and we sure do. That's what I love about the smaller towns, though.. Everyone is always willing to help each other.

Over the next few weeks I refamiliarize myself with the older farmers and meet some of the new faces in town as they help rebuild the house and barns, teaching my fellow Sith as they went. They even helped in repairing the tractors and combine; readying it for the following years' harvest. I already knew that this year was a bust, because it was already too late in the season to grow anything before the coming winter, and my fellow Sith had a lot of learning to do, beforehand. In those weeks, I also introduced Nazarene to one of our tractors – the 1952 Ford 1700 diesel. My 'Lead Sled'. Ben and Nazarene started seeing each other, heavily, and Rocky met one of the local farmer boys who was helping rebuild the barn. They hit it off, wonderfully. Maybe too wonderfully.  
I waited up many a late night for her to come back home.

As several more of our friendly Sith were located over the weeks from their respective landings - all over the States - and brought to the farm the men took on jobs around the neighboring farms in order to pay back the farmers for rebuilding our land and to get the hang of living on Earth, let alone on a farm. The women joined the circle of farmer's wives and learned their ways, their rumors, their friendships.  
All the while, me and Lori were playing husband and wife – which was hard at times since she still resented me for being a Sith.  
I had always found Lori attractive, but figured that she'd never return the feelings. Not until that one day, a month later.

The night sky is filled with stars (and several planets that scientists haven't found, yet.) and I'm still fiddling around with this damned tractor. I just rebuilt the injector pump on the '52 Ford and used the Force – a skill only usable after the other farmers have left for the day - to turn the engine over when Lori walked in behind me._"It's been a long time since I heard this thing run." _  
I turn around, catching her in a mistake.  
She'd never been to my farm, that I know of. How would she know how this thing sounded before?  
"_Where you spying on me when we were kids?"_, I say, half jokingly.  
She stutters, _"I-I, err, No, I was...Just."_, her face turns a bright shade of red as she crosses her arms, trying to hide them in her Earth clothing, which has no big sleeves.  
She walks around the front of the tractor and leans on the wall, _"Fine. I had a crush on you when we were in school."_, she says, turning her back to me and staring at the rafters. _"I used to follow you home and watch you do farm work after class."._  
My mind flickers as I remember back to my childhood. I can remember "feeling" someone watching me when I was out in the field during harvest time. But, I had always blown it off as paranoia.  
I suddenly realize that I must have been using the Force back then, subconciously, and felt her presence.  
I walk around the tractor and grab Lori's shoulder, facing her toward me. I stare in her wide, light blue eyes for a second. She stares back at me as I grab her other arm and bring her into me.  
I embrace her in a strong kiss, moving my hand to the small of her back.  
Her lips are soft and ever so slighty moist. I can smell the sweet fragarence on her cheek as her small nose presses against the side of mine.  
She resists for a second before grabbing the back of my head and pulling me into her. I can feel her teeth press against mine as she comes into me, tightly. Her breathing grows as she wraps her arms around my neck.  
I pull her entire body into me as passion runs over us. She wraps her left leg around my right leg, rubbing it up and down my calf.

"_Well, well."_, comes a sudden voice from the door to the barn. Lori and I push apart, suddenly, and turn toward the voice – we both reach our hands for our sabers, hidden under our shirts.  
"_Hope I'm not interrupting."_, Nex says as he walks in on our first real connection.  
"_Hi, Nex! Nice to see you!"_, I say, sarcastically loud.  
Nex walks in and looks over the tractor. From what I know of him, he has no idea what he's looking at.  
"_The hole is ready."_, he says, touching and pulling on the generator belt, pretending to know what he's doing. He must be feeling really awkward right now. He won't even look at us.

Over the last few weeks the Sith have been digging a basement type hole in order to store our ship, which was still at the bottom of Lake Michigan.We had been using the Force to make the local farmers think that we were digging the hole for a new septic tank.  
If we hadn't, the farmers would have thought that the hole was suspicious because it was on the back corner of the lot, far from the house. Not only that, but the hole was over two acres, squared. A lot bigger than any septic tank that I know of.  
Now the hole was ready and we were ready to go to the lake shore to raise the ship to the surface so we could fly it to the farm.

The only question was: How do you get a house sized ship through town?

Also, tomorrow was the first day of school for Shorty, now that summer was over. I'm wondering how that's going to turn out.


End file.
